Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Helier and Phuket

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,417 in Saint Helier versus $1,264 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,465 in Saint Helier versus $2,256 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,513 in Saint Helier versus $3,248 in Phuket.

Living in Saint Helier is roughly 170% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Saint Helier is 157% above, Phuket is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.81 JEP 28.43

$4.48 ฿150

743.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$137 JEP 103

$45.59 ฿1,525

199.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 JEP 8.33

$8.76 ฿293

26.37%

Cappuccino

$5.12 JEP 3.85

$2.97 ฿99.3

72.39%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 JEP 2.39

$0.69 ฿22.96

360.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 JEP 1.93

$0.39 ฿13.07

556.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.35 JEP 6.28

$2.53 ฿84.7

230.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 JEP 6.25

$3.75 ฿125

121.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 JEP 1.70

$2.15 ฿71.8

5.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 JEP 1.79

$1.82 ฿60.7

31.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 JEP 2.59

$2.18 ฿73.1

57.80%

Eggs

$5.89 JEP 4.43

$2.25 ฿75.2

161.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.60 JEP 7.22

$20.00 ฿669

-52.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 JEP 8.82

$3.63 ฿121

223.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.00 JEP 14.29

$13.56 ฿453

40.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 JEP 3.34

$3.24 ฿109

37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$3.18 JEP 2.39

$1.64 ฿54.7

93.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 JEP 3.24

$2.33 ฿78.0

84.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 JEP 3.18

$2.07 ฿69.3

104.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 JEP 2.96

$1.55 ฿51.8

154.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 JEP 2.82

$1.46 ฿48.67

156.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 JEP 1.51

$0.98 ฿32.94

104.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 JEP 1.78

$0.48 ฿16.13

393.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.28 JEP 11.49

$4.35 ฿146

251.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.57 JEP 7.95

$18.57 ฿621

-43.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.65 JEP 3.49

$1.86 ฿62.1

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 JEP 5.57

$2.65 ฿88.8

179.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 JEP 2.29

$1.42 ฿47.40

114.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 JEP 50.6

$11.57 ฿387

481.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 JEP 4.63

$3.17 ฿106

94.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.93 JEP 2.95

$1.03 ฿34.51

281.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.70 JEP 25.34

$13.89 ฿465

142.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.23 JEP 1.68

$1.34 ฿44.96

66.42%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.1K JEP 16.6K

$27.8K ฿929.6K

-20.44%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$34.6K JEP 26.0K

$33.4K ฿1.1M

3.70%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$240 JEP 181

$123 ฿4,116

95.09%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.50 JEP 19.17

$13.77 ฿461

85.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 JEP 57.4

$18.33 ฿613

316.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 JEP 53.1

$60.7 ฿2,030

16.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.71 JEP 18.58

$17.16 ฿574

44.00%

Cinema Ticket

$21.02 JEP 15.81

$8.87 ฿297

136.98%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,198 JEP 1,653

$688 ฿23.0K

219.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K JEP 13.0K

$15.8K ฿527.8K

9.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$108 JEP 81.3

$59.3 ฿1,984

82.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.9 JEP 54.1

$34.69 ฿1,160

107.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 JEP 96.1

$115 ฿3,853

10.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$213 JEP 160

$83.8 ฿2,802

154.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 JEP 1,495

$621 ฿20.8K

220.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 JEP 1,226

$446 ฿14.9K

265.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,948 JEP 2,969

$2,034 ฿68.0K

94.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,559 JEP 2,676

$1,496 ฿50.0K

137.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K JEP 8,624

$3,455 ฿115.6K

231.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.1K JEP 7,610

$2,531 ฿84.7K

299.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,558 JEP 3,427

$494 ฿16.5K

823.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.33

-27.77%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Saint Helier: July 28, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,988 in Saint Helier and $621 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Helier pays 823% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $137 in Saint Helier vs $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $291 per month, with Phuket cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint Helier vs Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 170% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 823% higher in Saint Helier, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,988 in Saint Helier versus $621 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,198 in Saint Helier versus $688 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Saint Helier. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,264 in Phuket versus $3,417 in Saint Helier, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Saint Helier. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Saint Helier, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Saint Helier and Phuket are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Saint Helier. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.